Nzalae Community A

Project Status

Southeastern Kenya WaSH Program

The Water Project’s WaSH Program in Southeastern Kenya is focused in Makueni, Machakos and Kitui Counties.

Approximately 60% of people across these counties lack access to safe and reliable water.

This program works with farming communities and schools impacted by regional drought and climate change to implement sand dams, dug wells with hand pumps, rainwater catchment projects and hand-washing stations. Ongoing work with farmers includes climate-smart agricultural training, seed and tree distribution.

This work results in regional water and food security in areas that were once stunted by drought.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training targets overall health, teaching the community about the importance of handwashing and latrine use.

Ongoing mobile monitoring breaks the cycle of broken water systems and helps gauge the impact of every project. Thanks to our monthly donors, we are able to monitor and repair water projects to ensure water continues to flow.

Functionality Data

Install Date: 01/11/2018

Current Status: Functional - New Project

Project Features

Dug Well and Hand Pump

Hand-dug wells are best suited for clay, sand, gravel and mixed soil ground formations. A large diameter well is dug by hand, and then lined with either bricks or concrete to prevent contamination and collapse of the well. Once a water table is hit, the well is capped and a hand-pump is installed – creating a complete and enclosed water system.

Rehabilitation Project

Rehabilitation is not just fixing a pump - it’s total community re-engagement.

There’s only one thing we can think of that might be worse than not having safe water: having safe water, and then losing if because a project fell into disrepair.

It’s estimated 50% of projects in Sub-Saharan Africa are no longer functional. A majority of these projects are dug wells and boreholes with hand pumps. Though a hand pump is low-tech, cost-effective and a great solution for providing safe water - it’s also among the most susceptible to failure.

When working in a region, The Water Project seeks to provide adequate water coverage for communities across the region. Inevitably, we find dug well and boreholes projects installed, and then abandoned by other organizations and government contracts. We believe there is great value in building on what already exists - what is already present in a community - even if what’s exists is not working. After all, this broken well represents a significant investment from the past and repairing it shows a community our investment in them.

Rehabilitation often proves to be a big challenge, as many wells have sit idle for years and there is typically little information about the specifics of the well. A borehole and dug well rehabilitation involves quite a bit of discovery. First, our teams work to discover as much as they can about the initial project. What materials were used? Was the borehole/hand-dug well properly constructed? What is the static water level and well yield? Are there any known sources of contamination? Many of these questions can only be answered by diving in, and doing “the work” which makes up a rehabilitation.

Once our teams have found the problem, they find the solution. Then, they reconstruct a concrete apron around the well, and install a hand pump.

Program engagement and training with communities takes into account rehabilitation was needed and alters the program to suit the needs of the community. After all - engaging with this community in the same way which led to the initial, failed project will not bring new results. Our teams work to understand the social and support reasons leading to initial failure, and make those areas a focus of our ongoing engagement with communities.

Community Engagement

Community engagement is at every step of a water project.

Our engagement is rooted in relationship and includes involving the community in implementation and ongoing support, setting expectations for water point management and ongoing costs, etc. All of this happens before a water project is installed.

We use a term called ABCD: “Asset Based Community Development”. This means the community gets a leading seat at the table. Before we seek to bring anything into the community, we first seek to understand and utilize the assets that already exist within the community.

Agricultural Assistance

All sand dam and dug well programs in Southeastern Kenya include climate-smart agricultural training. Sand dams restore a water table robbed by climate change and create the opportunity for the addition of dug wells. Water is now available, but the community’s livelihood depends on their ability to adjust to new farming techniques.

This support provides thousands of drought tolerant seeds and trees, also equipping farming with the necessary tools for new farming techniques. This allows farmers to do what they do best - grow food! And, it all starts with water.

Hygiene and Sanitation Training

Community education and self-discovery about hygiene and sanitation concepts lead to improved health.

Improved health is always the goal. This is why all our projects include hygiene and sanitation training. We utilize many different methods for this training, depending on the community/institution, program and country. Training topics include disease transmission, personal hygiene and cleanliness, proper disposal of waste and proper water storage methods.

Monitoring and Resolution

Water isn’t a pump. Water is a service. And, it must be reliable.

The known benefits of water are ONLY true if water can be counted on, over time. We love celebrating when a project is complete and a community has access to clean, safe water. However, the ongoing service of water - making water reliable - is how we know our true impact.

The Water Project continues to monitor our water projects, and we provide continued support to make sure water service continues for communities.

Past water projects and the communities they serve are just as important to us as anything else we might be doing in the future.

Project Timeline FAQ

Project Status

Funded: Money has been raised for this project and we are preparing to release those funds to the driller/implementer

Under Construction: Money had been released to our partner to begin construction

Completed: All project work is complete and final reports have been submitted

On Hold: Issues of concern are being investigated (more below)

Canceled/Re-Allocated: The project your gift was originally allocated to has been withdrawn and we have re-allocated your gift to another project. Click the link to be redirected to your new project. (read more below)

Why isn't my project under construction yet?

Our goal is to get funds into the hands of our implementing partners as quickly and as efficiently as possible. To ensure that work in the field is not interrupted, waiting for additional funds to be raised, we keep our partners on about a 3-6 month back-log of work. That ensures the workers are always drilling or repairing wells.

Of course the side-effect of that is a perceived "lag" between donation and construction. Rest assured everyone is working as fast as is responsible.

Is the expected completion date a sure thing?

NO. Well construction in the developing world is very hard work. A lot of things can and do go wrong and delays are normal. We attempt to make a best judgment estimate of when a particular project will be complete, but the circumstances surrounding actual "in the field" conditions are far from our control.

Weather, supply availability, government paperwork, and community involvement are just a few of the variables that can delay (and sometimes even speed up) a project's completion.

What does "On Hold" mean?

Our goal is to ensure your donations are well spent. That means always erring on the side of caution when it comes to your gifts.

From time to time, concerns may arise about a particular project that require further investigation before we can fund it (actually wire money overseas) or it can be completed. We will place a project "On Hold" while we determine if it is possible to proceed and be assured of the quality of the work, and that the transparency and accountability of our partners remains up to our standard. Many times, the issues can be resolved, but on occasion project funds will need to be re-allocated to another project or partner. Sometimes initial efforts fail and we will put a project on hold to assess the situation as well. We will tell you when that happens.

What does "Canceled/Re-allocated" mean?

From time to time our water projects may not go as planned. Delays can occur due to equipment failures, geology, weather, and in some cases because we are simply not satisfied that work is being performed to our high standards. When this happens, we may need to re-allocate your donation/project. While we attempt to keep the new project in the same country, this is not always possible.

We mark a project canceled so that you are aware that your funds have been re-allocated to a new site or project. The new project link will be listed accordingly.

Click icons to learn about each feature.

Community Profile

This project is a part of our shared program with Africa Sand Dam Foundation. Our team is pleased to directly share the below report (edited for clarity, as needed).

Welcome to the Community

Katalwa Jipe Moyo Self-Help Group was formed in 2009 and later registered in 2013. It currently has 24 female members, making it an all women’s group. Most of the women are from Katalwa Village which has a population of 43 people. Their larger area is home to 2,256 people.

The average age of these women is 53 years, and their average household size is six.

Their main reason for forming was for social welfare activities, farm terracing, table banking and poultry keeping.

Water Situation

Water in most parts of Kitui County is collected from scoop holes in sandy riverbeds. There’s no water flowing aboveground, but if community members dig deep enough they’ll find it. This is no exception for the women of Katalwa Jipe Moyo, who walk to the Katalwa kwa Kutu River to fetch water for drinking, cleaning, cooking, and all other needs. However, they do have an unprotected shallow well located in the riverbed that gives them a select place to fetch water. When not being used, a cover is placed over the hole. When being used, a bucket is lowered for water and raised with a rope.

20-liter jerrycans are filled and transported on dokey or ox-drawn carts. Other households are able to afford motorbikes – people are getting really good at balancing heavy loads as they ride their motorbikes! But those who cannot afford any of the above must resort to hefting these heavy containers on their backs.

The unprotected well has a large contamination entry point at the hatch. This open well does not keep bugs or litter out of the water, and the bucket and rope themselves directly introduce new contaminants.

Rampant waterborne disease is a daily reality for people who rely on this dirty water for drinking. Any money that was saved from farming is instead used on treating these sicknesses.

Sanitation Situation

We were able to visit with Agnes Mwende and Tabitha Munywoki at their neighboring homesteads to talk about hygiene and sanitation in their community.

A little over half of households have at least some sort of pit latrine, though most of the lack doors and just have a curtain hanging in the opening. The materials used for the latrine walls depend on a household’s economic status. But because so many people still don’t have their own latrine, open defecation is an issue in this community. Waste left out in the open like this attracts flies that spread germs throughout the community, endangering all.

A handful of hand-washing stations were seen, along with dish racks and clotheslines for drying things safely off the ground. Half of households dispose of their garbage in an open area, while only a third have a pit.

As for water hygiene, 20 out of 23 people surveyed don’t treat their drinking water.

Plans: Hygiene and Sanitation Training

To address gaps in hygiene and sanitation practices in Nzalae Community, training will be offered to self-help group members on three consecutive days. The members will learn about useful practices and tools to improve health, and then will be able to share those with their families and neighbors. Water transport, storage, and treatment methods will be taught, and hand-washing will be a focus. Group members will learn how to make their own hand-washing stations with everyday materials. To motivate participants, we must show the links between these activities and their people’s health. Open defecation certainly won’t be overlooked; everyone will be aware of how not using a latrine endangers the entire community. Since it’s such an issue here, we will be leading the community through CLTS (community-led total sanitation).

Plans: Hand-Dug Well

This hand-dug well is one of many construction projects taking place to transform this area. We spend a total of five years unified with each community to address their clean water shortage. More sand dams will be built to transform the environment – And as the sand dams mature and build up more sand over time, the water table will rise. To safely access this water, hand-dug wells like this one are installed.

The wells are always located next to sand dams, since they rely on the water stored by sand dams. The sand dam location is proposed by the self-help group and then approved by the technical team. The group always proposes sites that will be central and convenient for every group member to access.

This particular hand-dug well is being built adjacent to this group’s ongoing sand dam project (click here to see). We have supplied the group with the tools needed for excavation. With the guidance of our artisans and mechanics, the excavated well will be cased, sealed with a well pad, and then finished with a new AfriDev pump.

Excavation takes a month or more on average, depending on the nature of the rock beneath. Construction of the well lining and installation of the pump takes 12 days maximum. The well will be lined with a concrete wall with perforations so that once it rains, water will seep in through the sand.

Project Updates

01/11/2018: Nzalae Community Hand-Dug Well Complete

Nzalae Community, Kenya now has a new source of water thanks to your donation. A new hand-dug well has been constructed adjacent to a sand dam on a local river. The dam will build up sand to raise the water table and naturally filter water. Community members have also attended hygiene and sanitation training, and plan to share what they learned with their families and neighbors. You made it happen, now help keep the water flowing! Join our team of monthly donors and help us maintain this hand-dug well and many other projects.

The report below from our partner gives the latest details of the project. We also just updated the project page with new pictures, so make sure to check them out!

Project Result: New Knowledge

The training officers communicated with self-help group committee members to plan four days of hygiene and sanitation training. Total attendance was wonderful, with both the area chief and his assistant chief there. It was held at Janet Musili’s homestead, which was a central meeting point for participants.

The first day was set aside for sharing expectations, discussing issues common to Nzalae, and taking a transect walk. This walk around the community and its homesteads revealed both the strengths and the weaknesses that we would need to focus on the next few days.

On the transect walk

The next day, we met to talk about how much waste the community generates, and how much that waste can then contaminate the environment and cause illnesses. We also calculated the medical costs to show that yes, properly disposing of waste is worth it! It may require capital investment when building a latrine, but community members will save money in the long run.

The third day we focused on the transmission of germs. How are germs spread, and how can we build barriers for those routes?

Last but certainly not least, we gathered together to make an action plan for implementing all of these new things. We also taught how to build hand-washing stations and how to make soap.

Mixing soap

69-year-old Jedidah Mue expressed her gratefulness by saying, “It was a good training. There are two activities that we did during the training: the transect walk and the water contamination activity that have challenged us to construct latrines. I’m sure that open defecation will no longer be practiced in our area. Calculation of medical bills has made us realize that we spend a lot of money for treatment that we are supposed to be utilizing on developing ourselves. During elections, I spent over 8,000 shillings on treatment. This was as a result of drinking dirty water. From the knowledge I have gained, I’m sure that our water has been contaminated with feces. I have already started warning my family not to practice open defecation and lied to the young ones that some police officers have been deployed to monitor those defecating in the open.”

Project Result: Hand-Dug Well

We delivered the experts and materials, but the community helped get an extraordinary amount of work done. They collected local materials to supplement the project, including sand and water.

Local women helped by making meals for the workers.

A hole seven feet in diameter is excavated up to a recommended depth of 25 feet. (Most hand-dug wells don’t reach that depth due to the existence of hard rocks between 10-18 ft.).

The beginning of the well excavation process

The diameter then shrinks to five feet when construction of the hand-dug well lining is completed. This lining is made of brick and mortar with perforations to allow for water to seep through. As sand builds up around the well walls, it will naturally filter the rainwater that’s stored behind the dam.

Once the lining reaches the top, the well is covered with a concrete well pad.

Once the construction of the lining reaches ground level, a precast concrete slab is laid on top and joined to the wall using mortar. Four bolts for the hand-pump are fixed on the slab during casting. The mechanics arrive to install the pump as community members watch, learning how to manage and maintain the pump for themselves. The well is then given a few days after installing the pump, allowing the joints to completely dry. After it rains, communities are advised to pump out the first water that seeps into the well because it often has a foul smell and a bad taste. After pumping that for a while, the water becomes clean and clear for safe drinking.

This hand-dug well was built simultaneously with its adjacent sand dam (to see the sand dam, click here). The sand dam will collect sand that stores and filters huge amounts of water, water that will then be accessed through the pump.

11/13/2017: Nzalae Community Hand-Dug Well Underway

Nzalae Community in Kenya will have a clean source of water, thanks to your generous donation. A new well is being constructed adjacent to a new sand dam, which will bring clean water closer to hundreds. Together, these resources will go a long way in stopping disease, hunger, and thirst in the area! We just posted a report including community details, maps, and pictures. We will keep you posted as the work continues!

Project Photos

Project Type

Hand-dug wells are best suited for clay, sand, gravel and mixed soil ground formations. A large diameter well is dug by hand, and then lined with either bricks or concrete to prevent contamination and collapse of the well. Once a water table is hit, the well is capped and a hand-pump is installed – creating a complete and enclosed water system.